"The first biennial Northern Hardwood Conference (NHC 2021) with the theme "Bridging Science and Management for the Future" took place virtually June 15–16, 2021. This inaugural meeting brought together scientists and managers working in the northern hardwood forests of eastern North America. Articles presented in this proceedings document the diverse subjects, cutting edge science, and state of the art practices exchanged among experts and across the subregions of the northern hardwood range. The topics include People and the Forestry Profession, Regeneration and Biotic Interference, Stand Dynamics, Silviculture, Forest Products and Economics, Forest Ecology and Ecosystem Impacts from Forest Management, Forest Health, and Climate Change. The proceedings include 52 extended abstracts, 7 papers, NHC Hosting Policy, and a list of articles (also presented at NHC 2021) published in a journal special issue."